Totallympics Open International Song Contest 2023

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In Pursuit of Gold

 

When you think about country/western music, the image of the cowboy undoubtedly comes to mind. There is a long history of ranching in California, from Spanish immigrants to American settlers. The image of the “Wild West” popularized by the film industry embellished the truth of early settlement in California. Nonetheless, the era of cowboys, stagecoaches, and outlaws lives rent free in the minds of Californians.

 

 

Of course, that era was largely fueled by the California Gold Rush. People came from all over the world hoping to strike it rich in hills, but many found few richies in the dirt. Instead, they planted roots and gave birth to modern California. You can still visit “Ghost Towns” throughout the state. Communities formed by mineral mining, but ultimately abandoned once the wealth was gone. Bodie State Historic Park accessible via state highway 270 is probably the best kept of these.

 

 

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Intermission

 

Phew! All that traveling has me exhausted. Thankfully, California has just about every kind of cuisine you could want. Of course, the state basically invented the concept of fast food, which might be your best option in the interest of time. We’ll take a quick snack break before resuming our tour.

 

 

 

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Vibe Check

 

Alright, everyone ready to go? Let’s get a quick vibe check before we hit the road once more. 

 

 

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Spanish California and Chicano Rock

 

Californios (Californians of Spanish/Mexican descent) and Latin Americans have had an up and down experience of California. They were the first European settlers of the state. They gained independence from Spain only to have Alta California taken by the Americans just over 25 years later. They went from ruling class to minority power in only a few decades. Their language was replaced by English, their music by American artists, and their land by American settlers. Immigrants were welcomed then shunned in a vicious cycle. Nonetheless, their communities survived every setback. Their artists even found commercial success in unlikely places.

 

You wouldn’t think rock-n-roll and Mexican folk music were a match made in heaven, but Richie Valens proved otherwise with the following smash hit.

 

 

He blazed a trail for other Chicano/Chicana artists to follow. 

 

 

Other genres of Latin American music continue to gain popularity in California. Spanish language radio stations are a dime a dozen in Southern California and major cities.

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The Rise of Hip-Hop and Rap

 

Chicano Americans and Latin Americans were by no means alone in their marginalization. White families feld the cities as more diverse waves of immigration and settlement changed the demographics of California. Inter-city communities became synonymous with race, crime, gang warfare, and poverty. These communities were neglected by state and country, and left to solve their own problems. 

 

By the 1980s and 1990s, hip-hop and rap emerged and matured as genres of Black expression. Songs expressed anger with the social situation, served as party anthems, or detailed day-to-day life in communities left behind by middle and upper class America.

Hip-Hop was known for bouncy/grovy beats. It transferred into a lifestyle that included fashion, art, dance, and music.

 

 

 

Rap evolved out of the social scene in the Bronx, a neighborhood of NYC. However, it quickly traveled to the West Coast. Artists in Los Angeles put their own spin on the genre known as “gangster rap.” The songs were often explicit and honest in their protrial of inner-city life. If you were to cruise through South Central, Compton, Watts, or other LA neighborhoods in 1990s, there’s a god chance you’d hear some of the following.

 

 

 

Overtime and rap and hip-hop merged to create a uniquely LA culture. 

 

 

 

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Yelling, Kicking, and Screaming

 

At the same time urban, inter-city culture was developing, another social music movement was taking place in the white suburbs. Young people were feeling disenfranchised by the cookie-cutter houses, manicured lawns, 9-5 white collar jobs, and traditional religions. They were ready to break shit, scream, and bend the rules. Enter punk, hardcore, metal, and alt rock.

 

The suburbs of Los Angeles became a hive of punk rock in the 1970s. If you were invited to a local gig, you might have heard the following.

 

 

Of course, one can’t talk about hard rock bands from California without including Metallica in the conversation.

 

 

The early 2000s would see the emergence of alternative music groups. Frustrated with the stagnating conservative policies of Orange County, groups like Rage Against the Machine rose to prominence.

 

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Queen Status

 

The emergence of alt rock nearly brings us to the present. Of course, popular culture was still consuming, consuming, consuming during all the eras we covered. However, there has been a fascinating recent trend of pop queens from Los Angeles. Billie Eylish and Olivia Rodrigo have both become intertwined with Gen Z. Their songs contain themes of female empowerment, anti-social behavior, and modern social commentary.

 

 

 

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Director's Note

 

I must admit, designing tonight’s artistic segment may have been the hardest part of organizing TISC. California is so diverse: geographically, culturally, musically, etc. I’m not sure there’s a “right way” to present the Golden State. If the above songs prove anything, it's that Californians are constantly reinventing what it means to be Californian. Maybe reinvention, creativity, diversity, and the freedom to express yourself are the tenants of the California Dream. I’ll leave that up to each individual jury member to decide. Anyways, it seems fitting to end the artistic segment with the following classic tune.

 

 

 

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Opening Ceremony: TISC Anthem

 

Of course, no edition of the Totallympics International Song Contest is complete without the TISC anthem.

 

 

 

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The End (I Promise)

 

I’ve been DJ Youth and Urban. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I’ll use my last song to properly welcome all of you to California and declare the 2023 Totallympics Open International Song Contest open!